Human beings do not merely exchange words; they negotiate their unique worlds. In every conversation, there stands before us what we may call the hermeneutical Other - the one whose words we must interpret, whose silences we must decode, and whose intentions we can never access directly. Meaning is not simply transmitted like a parcel; it is co-constructed, resisted, reshaped, and sometimes distorted in the very act of dialogue. From Max Weber to Ludwig Wittgenstein and Hans-Georg Gadamer, and through the wider traditions traditions of phenomenology and epistemology , philosophers have insisted that understanding is neither automatic nor neutral. It is negotiated. And the success or failure of this negotiation often determines whether relationships flourish or fracture. Meaning as Social Action: Weber’s Insight Weber famously defined sociology as the interpretive understanding ( Verstehen ) of social action (Weber, 1922). For Weber, actio...
It is a common yet flawed assumption that children belong to their parents. Many, particularly in African societies, operate under the illusion that biological connection equals ownership. But let us pause for a moment and reflect – who among us can claim ownership of another’s soul? Who among us chose their own entry into this world? The truth is as old as time itself: we do not own our children; they are God’s, lent to us for a time, to be raised and nurtured, not possessed and manipulated. The Divine Custodianship of Parenthood Children are not commodities to be controlled, coerced, or commanded at will. They are gifts from the Almighty, entrusted into our care for a fleeting season. Psalm 127:3 reminds us, “Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” The language is clear: they are a heritage, not an acquisition. Parents are custodians, not owners. In Genesis, when God blessed humanity with the ability to multiply, He did not ...